Last week was a busy week for news. The week started with a scandal that shocked us and ended with slayings that devastated us. What do these events have in common? Why on earth would I write a series of articles including something as trivial as arrested celebrities and as impactful as mass murder? For two reasons: 1) they happened the same week and 2) Satan was at work in both scenarios. Part 1 focuses on the scandal.
SCANDALS
Scandals happen every day. Affairs. Drugs. Tax evasion. Theft. Double life. Some of these things make the news; some of them are kept hidden. Sometimes the scandal can ruin a career or a family. There are natural consequences to our actions but what concerns me is that we seem to be living in a time where grace is scarce. Before you message me the reasons grace is unwarranted in various circumstances, I want to remind you of a couple of things. First, we are told to love our enemies, do good for them, and pray for them (Luke 6:27-28). Secondly, we were once enemies of God, but He lavishes His grace upon us. We offended God personally, and He still forgives us and loves us. So why do we turn around and spew hatred towards strangers?
I was an 80s kid, so like many other kids growing up in the 80s, Lori Loughlin was a part of my childhood. Everyone loved Aunt Becky. Years later she appeared on our screens again in Hallmark Christmas movies, When Calls the Heart, and Garage Sale Mysteries. She always played someone who was wholesome. Until last week, most of us would say she played wholesome characters because she IS wholesome. But once the news broke of her lying and bribing to get her daughters into college, many quickly turned their backs on her and began flinging insults. Hallmark and Netflix were quick to distance themselves. Memes began filling social media. Hateful comments from strangers were easy to find. But why? Why have so many Americans been fascinated with casting stones? Why are so many Americans frequently fascinated with kicking people once they are down? Are we really that arrogant that we think we have no flaws or are we so hungry for approval that we will say anything to get likes and retweets?
I don’t know Lori Loughlin personally, but I’ve seen her in interviews and read articles where she discusses her faith. Many have called that faith into question and have accused her of being entitled, selfish, and a fraud. Maybe she is. Maybe she has a shallow faith. But perhaps there is something else going on here. Perhaps she is a Christian that forgot the importance of wearing her armor.
SATAN
Satan is really good at his job. He doesn’t approach someone and say, “Hey, if you steal thousands of dollars from your employer, you can have the lifestyle you want but just a heads up, you will get caught and arrested.” Most people wouldn’t go along with that plan. Instead, he works more like this: “It’s okay to take a couple of hundred dollars from the petty cash. You have been spending extra unpaid hours at work, and besides, your boss will never know. You deserve it.” So you take $200 because your time is worth something. A few weeks later you take some more. Then you start shifting funds to cover your tracks. After a year, you begin to think you are invincible and take larger amounts of money. You have become an expert liar but unfortunately, discrepancies are found, and your picture is on every local news station.
Satan doesn’t tell you that if you cheat on your spouse, you will destroy your family, your reputation, and will lose leadership positions in the church. Instead, he tells you, “your spouse doesn’t appreciate you. Your spouse takes you for granted and is cheating on you with his or her work. You deserve better than that. It doesn’t hurt anything to find an attractive confidante to boost your self-esteem. There’s no harm in just talking and spending time together.” And so you do. And you feel loved and validated in a way your spouse hasn’t done in years. Before long, intimacy creeps into the relationship, and you are now guilty of having an affair. You didn’t seek it out, but you found it anyway.
That’s how Satan works. He speaks to our insecurities. He offers attractive solutions. He normalizes our actions. And without the armor of God, we are easy prey. It doesn’t mean we aren’t Christians. It means we are Christians who Satan deceived because we weren’t wearing our armor.
Again, I don’t personally know Lori Loughlin, but I do know how Satan works, and while it’s possible she is the villain many are claiming her to be, I think the following scenario is equally plausible. “Hey, Lori, I know how much you love your daughters. I also know how much they depend on you and your husband to provide for them because they love you and trust you. You don’t want to let them down.” She hears something similar to this for months or even years. Then he pushes harder, “Lori, I know how to get your daughter into the school of her dreams. She may not have the necessary scores, but you have another asset that can compensate for that. You have money. You’ve worked hard so you can provide for your family. And it’s not like this hasn’t been done for decades. Wealthy families donate large sums of money for new buildings so that their legacy son or daughter is assured of getting into a school.” She then learns of someone who facilitates transactions with colleges to secure acceptance. “See, here’s the answer to your problem. Just do what he says, and you will be able to help your children. This happens all the time, so it’s not that big of a deal.”
I don’t think Lori would have listened if Satan had said, “Hey, Lori, bribe a school with an insane amount of money while lying about your daughter. She’ll get in, but the FBI will find out, you will be arrested, and you and your daughter will suffer professionally.” I’m not saying Satan is to blame and Lori Loughlin is innocent. I’m guilty of the sins I commit, and Lori is guilty of the sins she commits. When I commit sins, it’s because I’m human and I make mistakes. It’s the sole reason I needed a Savior and the reason I’m so grateful for grace. I don’t like living in a culture that feels empowered by tearing people down. I want a culture that extends grace. I want my daughters to have empathy for others. I want them to love those who mess up and offer hope and encouragement instead of puncturing the life raft so that they can watch someone sink.
GRACE
Remember the story of the good Samaritan? The religious walked past a man beaten and left for dead without even glancing his way. They didn’t care why he was knocked down. They didn’t care if he survived. Whether it was because they were too busy to be bothered or because they felt the man had brought this upon himself, the reality is that they were satisfied with letting a man suffer. But someone came along who couldn’t look away. He assisted. He cared. We all face wounded people every day. Sometimes it’s because they are victims and other times the wound is self-inflicted. But regardless of why they are wounded, the fact remains that they need help. They need encouragement. They need hope. Sometimes they need forgiveness. You have a choice. Are you going to be a pious, religious person who looks on the downtrodden with disdain, or are you going to be like the good Samaritan who sees the hurting and gives what you can to see them restored?
Does Lori Loughlin deserve grace? No, that’s kind of the point of mercy and grace. None of us deserve it. But we ALL want it. We all want second chances. We all want empathy and understanding. And if God, who is holy and perfect, is willing to extend grace, second chances, empathy, and understanding, who on earth are we to ridicule and shame a fellow sinner?
She has legal consequences that she will have to face and should face. If a person has an affair, it destroys families. If a person steals, they need to make restitution. Grace isn’t about erasing guilt and removing consequences. It is about loving the person anyway. I wish Lori Loughlin hadn’t bribed USC. I’m saddened that she made a choice that has hurt her both personally and professionally. I don’t excuse her behavior, but I don’t hate her either. I still love her and want to see her succeed.
While I wrote this article out of the aftermath of the college scandal, it applies to all of us. It applies to politicians who let power become their god. It applies to celebrities who let their fame determine their worth. It applies to CEOs who let their wealth consume them. It applies to pastors who elevate their position. It applies to you and me when we get deceived by the enemy. We all have weaknesses. We all sin. And we all want grace. So let’s give grace. Let’s look different than the rest of the world. While the rest of the world is tearing people down, let’s be the ones building them up. Let’s commit to looking more like Christ and less like the world.
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